A couple of weeks ago I had gone to the local Walmart to by groceries. I had finished my shopping and was loading them into the suburban. When an older gentleman asked if he could help me load my dog food. (I had bought the 44 lb bag and it was below the basket on the flat) I looked at him, surprised because no one has volunteered to help before, and said nothing. I stood there thinking. Trying to decide if it is a good idea to let a stranger into my personal space. I thinking he could be a bad guy or just a really nice guy. I thought to myself that it was the middle of the day and if I screamed someone would help me. In the mean time trying to listen to the spirit for warning. I guess I stood there for a good 10 seconds with a questioning look on my face. Finally, he said "I don't have to, it just looked like you could use some help." I agreed to accept his kind assistance. He really did help me alot, those big bags of dog food get hung up on the carts. I held the basket while he wrangled the bag loose. If I had to do it myself, it would have taken a good 10 minutes and I probably would have ripped the bag. I thanked him but not enough. Is it terrible that a nice older gentleman asked if I needed help and I have to think it over?
Today at the grocery store, we had finished shopping and were leaving the store. Two big noisy boys, they may have been 23 years old, started spouting profanities about how much they had spent in Walmart. So I started walking slower to allow some space between their fowl mouths and my children's ears. I finally had to stop and wait for a few minutes because they had gotten so loud. Unfortunately, for me they had parked right next to me. I noticed that someone had approached them and that they were lost in conversation. The swearing a quieted and so I made a dash for the car hoping to get the kids in before anything else was said.
They stood there talking to the third man for quite some time. I was quickly unloading my basket and I could over hear their discussion. The tone of their voices had changed and they sounded almost sympathetic to the questions of the third man. I was surprised when I heard them discussing Jesus Christ. (We live in bible belt USA and so we have frequent encounters with independent missionaries asking if we have been "saved.") The third man was going from car to car asking and hoping to convert someone to accept Jesus in their lives. The miracle here is that flamingly boisterous boys turned quiet and gentle when brought to the discussions of Jesus Christ. It was a good lesson.
It is amazing the lessons taught in the Walmart parking lot.
7 comments:
That was very nice of the man to help with the dog food. But, I'm with you I would've had the same debate in my head, let him help or say no thanks b/c you just never know these days. It's awful, but I think you have to be that way. And thank goodness for the missionary getting the fowl mouths quiet while you load up. Hope all is well, love you lots!
So the third dude was the answer to your unspoken prayer. Cool story. How nice of the man to help you. I either take a strong young boy that lives in my home or make the hubs do it.
New post! New post!
It constantly amazes me the lessons I can learn in the most ordinary of places.
Now if only I could learn to be quiet and gentle ALL of the time.
Wow. You gave me chills with that -- how wonderful that the man came along and quieted down the rowdies. It's amazing to me how the mention of Jesus Christ can calm down the most outrageous situations.
Holy cow! I just posted about a lesson I learned in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Another miracle! Full disclosure: I did talk about Jesus in that post, too.
It takes an observant person to see extraordinary things in an ordinary day, and what a blessing! It makes life so much more rewarding.
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